KEN IGE / KIGE@STARBULLETIN.COM
A meditation bed from Siam Imports folds out for comfy lounging, and folds up for easy daytime storage.
Rest easy, knowing something actually costs less to buy here than on the mainland. Thai wedge pillows are a deal
the second time around
Ruby Mata-Viti
ruby@starbulletin.comThe colorful wedge pillows used as decor in Thai restaurants -- such as the ones accenting window seats at Chiang Mai near Stadium Park -- can be ordered from the Horchow Collection catalog for $99. That doesn't count shipping costs of $18 (including $5 extra to Hawaii).
"The Meditation Bed," as Horchow calls it, has a wedge that forms a triangle-shaped head rest with three fold-out cushions that, when extended, become a relaxing floor cushion. It comes in blue or red and folds out to 73 inches long, enough to suit any weary soul up to 6 feet tall.
Siam Imports in Moiliili offers the same pillow in vibrant color combinations for $75. Store owner Kevin Costello sells two versions, a single fold-out ($45) as well as the triple.
"The triple one is more popular," said Costello. "They're more comfortable because you can stretch out. They're great for lounging on the floor when you're watching TV or reading a book."
Costello, who was unloading a new shipment last week, said, "I just mailed one to someone in New York who paid $40 extra for shipping" via Federal Express.
Typical buyers are residents who have traveled to Thailand and seen them there. Even though the pillows are cheaper there, Costello said, carting the bulky product back is too inconvenient and expensive for most travelers to deal with.
Costello imports the cushions from northeastern Thailand, where they are fairly common, used on wooden daybeds or for meditation.
He first tried to bring them in about three years ago but hit a snag. "They used to be stuffed with rice straw, but I had trouble with (the Department of) Agriculture and couldn't bring them in. I had to burn a whole shipment."
Costello has since had them stuffed with kapok cotton, the type used in mattresses and sleeping bags, and says it was worth the yearlong wait to have them specially made and imported. "They're popular. We can't keep them on the floor long enough."
Siam Imports is located at 2567 S. King St., 951-7426.
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